14192/Girls Just Wanna

Girls Just Wanna
Date of Scene:	14 March 2022
Location:	Sailor Pub and Bar, Mutant Town
Synopsis:	A night out at a dive bar. Yelena talks about her feelings while Pepper almost gets got.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Black Widow (Belova)

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Pepper Potts has posed:
While Pepper wasn't entirely certain what was going on with Yelena, she knew something had changed over the day. She wouldn't call them best friends, but they had gotten close. They were deep friends, if by circumstances alone, and Pepper knows her friends. Therefore, when Pepper noticed just how rough around the edges her *friend* was, she opted not to order dinner in. "Come on. Tony can fend for himself. You need a night out and a drink, and I need at least one of those things." And, without taking any protests, Pepper drug her out to the most fun, interesting dive bar Pepper knows.

Walking in, they definitely get a few looks. Pepper didn't bother to stop and change, so she's still in her light gray late-winter suit, single breasted, neatly pleated gray slacks with perfectly hemmed cuffs that cover just the edge of her high heels. She looks like corporate chic has come to visit mutant dive, but she flashes the bartender a warm smile and nods Yelena in the direction of the far corner. "Come on. Jerry will take care of us. Good isn't good for you but it's good. Order what you want. On the corporate credit card."

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova looks appropriate to the place. She has on jeans and boots, albeit stylish ones, with low heels and a heavy tread, chic biker boots. She wears a black leather jacket over a Guns 'n' Roses t-shirt. Her blonde hair is left loose for once, spilling down over her shoulders and framing her perfect jawline and piercing eyes.

"Of course. Is only credit card I have," she admits as she sits at the bar. She appreciated Pepper taking her out, even if she wasn't sure it was wise to bring the corporate princess out into the wilder parts of the world. Yelena was in the mood to pick a fight and break some jaws, but she couldn't indulge that particular violence with Pepper in tow.

And finding a partner for a night of mattress gymnastics might not be easy either. Either way, Yelena probably wasn't going to relieve a ton of tension through anything but booze.

"Vodka and soda. Pinch of lime. Real lime. I see fake plastic lime in hand, I break hand. Da?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
While it's not likely that Pepper can read minds, she is very good at reading hints. She can see the different layers of tension in Yelena's body. Her head tilts thoughtfully, watching as Yelena crosses to the bar to oder her drink. "White wine, Jerry...I know, I know, you only have 'house'." She mutters to the man. She's been here before, it seems. She waits for both of their drinks to be delivered before picking her's up with two menus and properly leading back to the far corner.

Once they are settled into the booth, she levels eyes at her friend, "Now... if you want to start a fight, maybe do it outside. BUT... if you see someone to take home, there is a guest bedroom? Or you can drop me off with Steve and go where you like, you know? You aren't utterly *trapped* with me. I did exist before you were joint at my hip. Whatever you need tonight, we'll take care of it, alright?"

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova sits back in her seat, "I do not know if wise to pick up partner here. Men look like greasy hog people. Women not much better," she sighs. "Sometimes greasy hog roll is good, but maybe not tonight," she says.

"I know, I know, but is my job to keep you safe. Like, only thing I can do right now. I would be stupid to let you get hurt because I am drunken slut and not paying attention. You can be drunken slut all you want though. Do you see any hogs you like?"

Her drink comes and she downs it with alarming alacrity, guzzling it down and then handing the glass back to the waitress, "One down."

Pepper Potts has posed:
As Pepper watches her down that drink quite so quickly, her brows both arch. She looks between the bartender, the waitress, and her body guard before making a small twirling motion with her pointer finger. An indication that they should keep the booze coming. She then holds up two fingers, just getting it over and ordering Yelena a second drink at the same time. It'll save all of them some sweat and worries.

She then takes a sip of her own wine, a worried smile crossing her lips as she studies the woman at her side and then looks across the room, her nose wrinkling a bit more. "I... do not think I see any hogs I like, no. I don't generally take men home. Just... not my lot in life these days. I've got some more important things. But, tonight's important thing is *you*. What is on YOUR mind that we're going to be ordering drinks by the half dozen?"

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova sticks her tongue out, "Phooey. You are gorgeous, rich bitch with awesome apartment. Any man would want to bang you like gong. Should not deprive yourself because of work. Or Tony. Tony is sexy man, but also goofy whore. Do not save yourself for him. He not save himself for you, da?"

She looks away as she's directly questioned, sighing as she considers whether she should even say anything. She feels humiliated about it all. And hurt. And confused. All of that shows easily on her face, the woman not great at disguising her feelings, spy or no spy.

"I ran into Natasha last night."

Pepper Potts has posed:
The commentary about Tony gets a slightly deeper smirk from Pepper, but her eyes drop away and she gives no verbal answer to the matter of Tony. Perhaps Pepper's just not someone to kiss and tell, or perhaps she really hasn't figured it out for herself. But she's a woman with her heart on her sleeve, so it's clear there is MORE there than just Tony being her boss. But she drowns it in a deep drink of her wine.

Fortunately, she did ask another question. And it's one that Pepper cares about hearing. When Yelena finally comes clean, her expression softens a bit more. She slides the freshly delivered two drinks across the table to the woman, no hesitation. She is going let Yelena drink. "I take it that... it didn't go that well? Or not the way you dreamt?"

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova drums her fingers on the tabletop and takes down her next drink with aplomb, swallowing hard as the vodka burns a bit going down. But the burn is kind of what she wants. It's cleansing. And dirtying, judging from the feeling of heat and syrup in her bloodstream.

"It did not," she says softly. "Natasha was one of my first trainers. I hated her so much. She was so skilled, so graceful. Perfect in everything. Unattainable. I threw myself at her over and over again and she broke me. The first time I defeated her in a fight, I could not contain my joy. And she still put me on my ass again the next day," she sighs.

"When she left the Widows, I hunted her like dog. I promised to bring home her head. And through it all, part of me...wished I was her. AS brave as her. As good as her. I try to make it up by being her nemesis. The ghost of her past, haunting her."

"Yesterday, I catch her boyfriend loitering outside and then she comes out. I confront her."

"And she didn't even remember me."

Pepper Potts has posed:
As she hears the woman spilling her heart onto the table, any worries that she's going to be asked about Tony just disappear. She reaches both her hands over, trying to scoop her fingertips around Yelena's stronger palms. Pepper might look and feel like a bird, all tiny, hollow, breakable bones, but when she's giving support she has the strength of a mother. The squeeze of her hands is warm, tender, made to help things unclench in someone's chest. She's good at giving these touches.

"Oh, Yelena, that's... That's awful. And I know Natasha. She... god. If she remembered, she'd say something. I don't know how you forget something like that, but she's not doing it on purpose. It's still ...miserable. I don't even have good words except to say you deserve better. You both do. She didn't deserve to torture her people like that and you deserve to be known. You're a good woman... hell, you're *brilliant* and dangerous and wonderful. I don't know how someone forgets you."

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova looks down for a moment, letting Pepper's touch comfort her some. Not so long ago, she wouldn't have let anyone touch her in a caring way, any way except her own turns. Fighting or fucking and nothing in between. In fact, she had never had someone touch her like this. She had never had a proper mother or father to do it, no real siblings except the other murder-drowned girls learning to kill by her side, all of them pitted against each other as much as allied.

"Thank you," she says softly, giving a large, hard sniffle and trying to keep her eyes from tearing up, feeling the stinging in them, "Only because I did not matter. Not to her. Not even a little," she says. "I chased her like dog chases bone, but she did not feel my breath on her neck. She did not even know my name. She said she had 'heard of me'. HEARD OF ME?!? YOU STABBED ME IN MY TIT, YOU BITCH!" she says, bringing her hand down hard on the table and drawing a few eyes.

Pepper Potts has posed:
As Pepper catches sight of the glimmer in Yelena's eyes, a glimmer that indicates there are tears there which Yelena isn't letting spill forward. Pepper releases one of her hands from the woman's grasp and, instead, wraps that arm around the back of Yelena's shoulders. She tugs her in close. It's almost a hug. But she's giving the woman a place to lean, the pressure of safety and support. Something she's never had before and Pepper gives unbidden and with a whole heart. She really does care this much.

"Well... for what it's worth, I couldn't tell she stabbed you in the tit. Your tits are perfect. She did not do a very good job of stabbing you in the tit and besides, who could FORGET those?" Pepper asks with a little grin.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova can't help but laugh, putting her face down on the table for a moment and then sweeping her hair back from it, wiping at her eyes with her fingers, "I...I do have amazing tits," she grins. "Is scar, just here," she says, marking the spot on her body, "Could've gone in my heart if not for my perky boobies. Still hurt like hell," she says.

She leans herself against Pepper and sighs, a little bit of a half-sob racking her, "Is stupid, I know. I hated her. I thought I hated her. But now I don't even know what I feel. Is stupid and messy."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pep wasn't certain if Yelena was going to accept the hug or not. She knows that the woman isn't touchy feely and that she's stepping on very dangerous ground. But it's worth it, if Yelena accepts it. She probably needs it. So, after that laugh and as she hears the half wracking sob that cracks the woman's voice, Pepper reaches her second arm up and wraps it around Yelena's front. She holds her close and tight, letting the woman bury her face in Pepper's neck.

"Feelings are often stupid and messy. And that hate was a... blanket. It was a safety. There was comfort in holding onto it. And now you can't even hold onto that hate because how do you hate a woman who doesn't know you? You're mourning her, but you're also mourning that hate... And it's alright, Yelena. It is. Just be mad. Scream. Cry. Drink. Do whatever you need. I'm here and it *will* be okay."

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova shivers softly as she tries to keep the sobs under control, "I did some screaming last night. Into pillow. Made big drooly mess," she sighs. "Booze is helping. And you. You are good and kind person, Paprika. I will be happy to kill anyone who tries to hurt you. I would do it for free. But do not tell Tony. Money is still good," she says.

She flicks her eyes up as two guys approach the two of them, a pair of sleazy dudes that look like they just finished working at the docks. Both of them wear wife beater tees, one of them with his hairy belly hanging out the underside a bit. The other one has a thick Burt Reynold's mustache, "Hey there, no girlie, don't you cry none, Roscoe and Jake are here to help you girls feel a bit better. How 'bout you let us buy you a round, huh?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
A deep, slightly cracked laugh escapes Pepper's lips as Yelena offers to kill anyone for her. She shakes her head, "No, no, take the money. It makes the world go around and Tony has more than he knows what to do with. It's better for him to spend it responsibly on keeping his assistant alive. Right?" Because, clearly, she is just an assistant. She hugs Yelena's shoulders a bit tigther for a moment and then gently lets go.

That is the moment that their gathering is interrupted. A slightly darker look comes to Pepper's eyes, staring up at the pair warily, but it's likely they are just drunks and not actually here for any trouble. "We don't need help, or a round of drinks. Thank you for the offer, but we would prefer to be left alone." Pepper states in her very firm, very flat, no-nonsense voice. Hopefully they can get the message.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova keeps her head down for a moment as the two men jeer a bit in response, "C'mon, you ladies think you're too good for us? What're you doin' here, then? Slummin', I guess. Well, if you're going to be an uppity cunt, why even bother?" the man called Roscoe says.

He would probably have gotten away with it all if it hadn't been for the last outburst. Yelena rises from her seat in a blur of motion, impossible to track, and her hand goes up into Roscoe's face and there's a scream and a crunch. The man stumbles backwards, howling and clutching at his face as Yelena stares at him, dead-eyed.

He turns and it's easy to see that she just jammed her shot glass into his mouth and into his throat, blood streaming from his split lip and broken teeth.

"We said no. Cunts."

Pepper Potts has posed:
It happens so fast. Pepper isn't quite accustomed to violence, she's generally quite far away from it, so seeing things up close and personal jars her out of her happy little ladies night. She gives a little screech of a yelp, scrambling up to sit on TOP of the booth's back and as far from the fighting as possible, one hand pressed over her heart which now leaps in her throat.

"YELENA!" She yelps breathlessly, panic in her green eyes as she looks between them. "Stop! Oh god, please, stop! Just leave us alone, it's not worth it, STOP!" Pepper begs the men across from her.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Too late, Jake is already taking a swing at the man who hurt his friend, only to find Yelena catching his wrist and twisting it, pulling his arm down and under until she bends his elbow the wrong way in the most horrifying of fashions, a snapping sound like toothpicks crackling echoing in the bar. "OH GOD!" the man cries before Yelena drives her forehead into his nose, breaking that, too and driving him to the floor.

She turns sideways and adds a thrust kick into Roscoe's already broken mouth, knocking him backwards over a table. She has Jake's blood on her forehead from the headbutt, letting it run down the bridge of her nose as she looks over the rest of the bar.

"Who else wants to buy me drink? Huh?" she says, followed by a string of Russian curses.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The pure fear on Pepper's features about the fight is nothing in compare to what she shows a moment later. Another set of arms comes out of almost nowhere, dragging her off the back of the booth and pulling her into a tight hold. One hand is slapped over her mouth, cutting off her scream, and the other is holding some sort of weapon to her ribs as he very stealthily tries to slip to the back fire exit while Yelena's in her fight.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova had been in the midst of her fight face when she catches the action out of the corner of her high, "PEPPER!" she cries out and she moves rapidly, vaulting over one of the tables and sliding to the other side to intercept. She manages to get to the entrance first, blocking the path.

The man tries to hold Pepper as a shield, "Stay back or I'll slit her fucking throat right here," he says, popping a military style knife from a sheathe at his waist, pressing it up against Pepper's pale throat, "You can take her head back to Tony Stark!"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Green eyes are entirely too wide, studying the room in a fresh wave of panic that is far more about her *life* that the rapid violence that came to their charming little table from those two guys trying to hit on them. Pepper suddenly starts to wonder if it was just a distraction, if they shouldn't have let their guard down, but it's too late now. She breathes in startled little gasps, trying not to fall into a full panic attack, but it's hard.

"Yelena, we... we don't negotiate... with terrorists... " Pepper repeats the company line. She doesn't even know what the company line MEANS in these situations, but she's staring hard at the woman, looking for any sort of hint about what she's supposed to be doing. Is there a way she can move to end this? To give Yelena and opening? Her chin lifts, throat getting longer, trying to pull just a bit away from that knife against her bouncing pulse.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova knows there's no negotiating here. Even if someone had wanted her to, she wouldn't. Yelena makes direct eye contact with Pepper for a long moment and then flicks her eyes downwards, indicating a sudden and drastic movement.

Yelena takes just a couple of steps forward, her hands up, "Look, mister, this is just a job to me. I don't want to die for anyone tonight. Look, if you want her so bad, you can take her, I won't stop...'

"Don't come any closer, he says and, as Yelena anticipated, he moves the knife from Pepper's throat and uses it to gesture threateningly with Yelena, giving Pepper a chance to drop free if she takes it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The moment the man moves that knife, Pepper's ready to go. Sudden, drastic, not struggling forward but dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes and scrambling out below the table in Yelena's direction. The knife skims over her shoulder as he tries to drag it back but she's moving too fast. She's still breathing in stilted, panicked hiccups.

But she's free. She remains down, out of the line of fire, crawling behind Yelena's legs as she just tries to hide from the violence of it all and let the woman handle it however she see fits. "We...we need to get out of here." She rasps out, half begging.

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova disarms the man with terrifying ease. He's a trained merc, the kind that gets hired for this sort of thing all the time, but he's no match for a Black Widow assassin. Yelena uses both hands in a plunging intersectory strike, snapping bones in his wrist and making the knife flip into the air. She reaches up and snags it in mid rotation, bringing it down hard to nail his shoulder to the wall, her hand on his throat.

"Who sent you?" she snarls, perilously close to crushing his windpipe. "Give me a name!"

Pepper Potts has posed:
The Black Widow is terrifying but, whomever his boss is, seems to be more terrifying. He shakes his head stiffly before trying to jerk his head back and back and back. Slamming his skull into the wall. If not to kill himself, to at least knock himself out so he doesn't need to talk to the Black Widow. They are in public, which means it will be a big deal if Yelena drags him out of here. He's taking his chances.

Pepper finally scrambles to her feet. She's a little panicked, but she's also very good in a crisis. This is a crisis and so she's going to handle it with as calm a head as she can. She keeps her back to the wall now, staring hard at the room, "Yelena, we should go... This is causing... we're out numbered. We should *go*."

Black Widow (Belova) has posed:
Yelena Belova snarls, "Bah!" she says. She gives out another headbutt, splintering this guy's nose, too, adding to the smear of gore on her own skin before she drops him, letting him slump to the ground. She quickly drops down and searches him for ID, pulling out a wallet. Whether it leads to anything or not, we'll see.

"Let's go," she says, grasping at Pepper's hand and leading her out through that back emergency exit, heading for the street to try and flag down a cab and, failing that, getting to a train to lose themselves in the subway.

Pepper Potts has posed:
When Yelena says it's time for them to go, relief floods Pepper's body. "We can get drunk at home." They might NEED to get drunk at home. She stands, giving the bartender an awkward little smile. She pulls out two hundred dollar bills, hastily leaving them on the bar and then stumbling back over to Yelena. She steps in close, scared to watch her own back alone. She trusts Yelena to get her out of there safely, even if everyone is staring at them now and a few mutants spit at their feet. The fancy city girls slumming it probably won't be welcome there any longer.